The aggravation and mitigation of mass gathering-associated health risks: a social identity perspective

Abstract

Research and practice have tended to focus on physical factors in the aggravation and mitigation of mass gathering-associated health risks while largely neglecting the importance of psychosocial factors. This thesis sought to advance the understanding of the aggravation and mitigation of mass gathering-associated health risks through a social identity perspective and employed a systematic mixed methods research strategy entailing five studies. A systematic review of the literature on the (theorised) negative relationship between social identification and health risk perceptions and behaviours in mass gatherings confirmed that the literature is limited. An experimental vignette study and a cross-sectional survey study demonstrated that perceiving a shared identity with other crowd members lowers health risk perceptions via lowered perceived disgust. A systematic scoping review of the literature on the negative implications of social identity processes for health risk perceptions and behaviours in non-mass gathering settings identified processes that may underpin the negative social identity-health risk relationship in mass gatherings: engagement with unhealthy norms brought about by normative pressure and the affirmation of social identities. Finally, a qualitative interview study with mass gathering healthcare professionals (HCPs) indicated that HCPs recognise that processes, such as norms and identity enactment, are implicated in mass gathering associated health risks. HCPs also perceive value in drawing on social identity processes to inform and improve healthcare practices and interventions. This thesis has provided empirical evidence for the negative relationship between social identification and health risk perceptions and behaviours in mass gatherings and unearthed social identity processes that underpin the relationship. It has also provided theoretically and empirically grounded recommendations for the incorporation of social identity processes into mass gathering health interventions.